Needs drafting is why we're currently at the bottom, in case anyone missed it.  All the needs picks on players who didn't pan out where successful players were taken by other teams at different positions.

 

Coughlin missed his share like everyone does, no extended warranties come with draft picks... no lemon law to allow a "do over."

 

What Coughlin did was bring in key contributors and focus on the right fundamentals in order to have even his least talented teams be competitive.

 

This draft illustrates we're doing exactly that... getting back to the fundamentals of good football.  Smash mouth run game and physically beat the opponent.  Speed at skill positions and special teams contributors.  Football guys.  Winners hungry to win.

 

If you look at the position taken alone and not take a deeper look the actual player selected, sure.  It's easy to say we didn't find this or that need position if that's what makes you happy.

 

I'm not sure it would be wise at all to call them "misses" so soon, however.  If you look at the players themselves, each are intriguing and have qualities that make the selections not hard to understand.

 

The first two picks are self explanatory: bruising, elite prospect at RB and a lineman to block for him that wasn't expected to be there.  Fournette is now the identity of the franchise.  Smoot was the first wildcard of their draft.  Time will tell there (as it will with all the picks,) but it is reminiscent of moves made in NY to have a stable of high motor guys on both ends of the defensive line that was a staple of their defensive success.  Westbrook is the epitome of value and risk/reward.  He was tied with two others as the fourth highest rated prospect at the WR position (according to nfl.com ratings.)  It's not usual to find second round talent in the fourth round, hard if not impossible to find a single critical mention of the pick on football merits alone, and the front office response on their due diligence was about as reasonable as it gets.  Brown is the classic "football player," instant special teams and depth contributor.  Myrick has rare speed and also should contribute on special teams immediately.  Marquez Williams is about as under the radar as it gets, another rare skillset for a position we didn't even carry a year ago.  Day three guys typically don't contribute or last long in the league, but it appears we found contributors even though they may not fit what some expected as positions of "need."

 

As always, a deeper look gives greater perspective.  A "miss" will be defined on the player's contributions, not by what position they play vs what fans were considered "needed."  We need better football players, and it would appear we got better this weekend.  Day 3 was certainly a day of value, getting more from lesser picks.

 

But to some they look like misses?  Well, we'll see.  Nobody's perfect.  When I look deeper at the player selected and their merits, I see a lot more than if looking solely at the label of the position selected.  But that's just me I suppose.

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